"Aircraft are checked all the time. Naturally, after a crash, aircraft will undergo checks. But that does not mean the aircraft have been grounded. Our Sukhois are available to be tasked on missions as and when required. Grounding would mean the aircraft would no longer be available," said a senior IAF officer.

T he Indian Air Force (IAF) has refuted reports in the media indicating the grounding of its Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters following the first crash of one of the aircraft.

“Aircraft are checked all the time. Naturally, after a crash, aircraft will undergo checks. But that does not mean the aircraft have been grounded. Our Sukhois are available to be tasked on missions as and when required. Grounding would mean the aircraft would no longer be available,” said a senior IAF officer.

The IAF’s 60 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters are based in Lohegaon near Pune and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. The IAF had also been planning to move one of the two squadrons in Lohegaon to Chabua in Assam, with the arrival of a new squadron, as well as basing the aircraft in Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

About Saurabh Joshi

Follow Saurabh Joshi on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/saurabhjoshi
Saurabh is a journalist based in New Delhi, India who has worked in print, television as well as internet news media. Besides defense and strategy, his past assignments have included reporting from Kashmir, coverage of terror strikes as well as election coverage from all over India. He has a Bachelors degree in Journalism (Honors) as well as a law degree (LLB), both from the University of Delhi.

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